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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127845
Speed &Sport National Vintage MX Series, Round 9
By Matt Benson
NEW BERLIN, NY, JUNE 7
ack in 1970 Jeff Smith won the
second round of the inaugural
Trans-AMA Series at Unadilla on
a 250cc BSA, holding off the two-stroke
onslaught of Ossas, Montesas, CZs,
Suzukis, Bultacos and Husqvarnas for
one last time. Twenty-seven years later,
a surprising number of things remain
unchanged at this world-famous circuit,
esPeciaJ.1y when AHRMA is in town.
For instance, while there are a few
concessions to the modern, aerial age of
motocross, the largest part of the hilly
course goes exactly where it's always
gone, and the dirt is as deep and dark
as ever. Smith, the two-time world
500cc champ, is still a presence, even if
he's directing the racing for AHRMA
instead of banging handlebars.
And the thumpers continue to refuse
to yield completely to those uppity twostrokes. In the Over 40 Intermediate
class, there was Steve Mickelson and his
'73 BSA B50 running at the head of a
fast pack until wearing down near the
end of each moto. In the first race, Gary
Mikalson worked his Honda 250 Elsinore toward the front and slipped into
the lead just before the checkered flag.
Moto two saw Mickelson rocket to the
lead, earning one of six tires given by
CZ-mounted Richard Field (457), overall
winner of the Sportsman 500cc Expert
class, gives chase to second-moto winner
Mark Wundertin (928) and his Maico at the
AHRMA vintage MX National.
Pirelli to holeshot winners, before
Yamaha-mounted Thomas Bryce took
over late in the race and held on to win.
Mickelson's 2-2 finishes were good
for second overall to Bryce's 3-1. Third
went to Mikalson with 1-3 results. In the
Classic ccIntermediate class BSAmounted Mickelson again logged 2-2
finishes - behind fellow BSA rider Marc
Cornut in moto one and Craig Corcoran
and his Greeves the second time out but this time it was good enough to earn
the overall win for the Pennsylvanian.
For the nearly 300 entries, it was a
nearly perfect day of racing. A bit of
rain the evening before the event, along
with overcast skies and moderate temperatures on race day, made for excellent track conditions, although a shower
in the afternoon did slicken things for a
few motos. That's another constant in
Unadilla's 28-year history - it's not if it
will rain, it's when and how much.
The action was torrid in the Expert
divisions. The first Over 30 moto initially was a battle between Richard Field on
a CZ 380 and Mark Wunderlin's Maico
440. But then Jay Kinder and his H~nda
CR125 worked their way into the fray,
first getting past Wunderlin and then
nipping Field for the lead in the turn following Gravity Cavity. Once he got out
front, there was no stopping Kinder,
despite Fields efforts to the contrary. By
moto's end, Yamaha-mounted Joe Brillo
had displaced Wunderlin for third.
In the second Over 30 heat, Maico
rider David Goyer slipped past Field
and Kinder and into the lead, as Field
stalled and fell far back into the pack.
Goyer's pass, however, seemed to light
. a fire under Kinder. Riding on the edge nobody came close to Kinder's leaps out
of Gravity Cavity - he barged back into
the lead. Goyer gave chase, but Kinder
would not be caught. The Honda rider
tallied 1-1 finishes, with Wunderlin's 4-3
good for second and Goyer's 6-2 earned
him third.
Kinder also was a major factor in the
Sportsman 125cc Expert race, passing
Bultaco pilot Tim Weaver for the motoone win. The second time out, Weaver
wasn't about to let the Honda rider past,
even under fierce pressure, and he got
the overall with 2-1 finishes to Kinder's
1-2. Weaver ended the day as a double
winner, sweeping both Sportsman 250cc
Expert motas as well.
The first Sportsman SOOcc Expert race
saw CZ-mounted Field chased all the
way to the checkered flag by Doug
Wentzell and his Yamaha. Things
weren't near1¥ that simple in the second
moto. Maico rider Benny Durrough led
the first time around, but Goyer took
over on the second of five laps,. pressured by Field and Wunderlin. As the
race drew to a close, it was Field, Goyer
and Wunder1in fighting for the lead, as
Wentzell and Durrough disputed fourth
position. Wunderlin took the point position, but Field and Goyer came together
and Field went down. The scorers
sharpened their pencils and awarded
the overall to Field 0-2) over Wentzell
(2-3), Durrough (5-4) and Goyer (4-6).
The Over 30 Intermediates put on a
show of their own, too. As James Berndt
and his CZ built a huge lead, Yamaha
rider Norman Smith was steadily working his way past the likes of Pentonmounted Kevin Hodge and Bultaco
rider Andy Agrasto to an eventual second-place finish. Tim Bowers had the
early lead with his BSA in moto two, but
Smith soon got by, and Berndt followed
into second on the second lap. Berndt
spent the balance of the race hounding
Smith, but couldn't take away the top
spot. In the race for third, Hodge overcame Bowers. Smith's 2-1 finishes were
the ticket for the top trophy over
Berndt's 1-2 and Hodge's 3-3. Berndt got
his overall win in Sportsman 500cc
Intermediate with 1-1 finishes.
Danny Davies made his trip from
California worthwhile by doubling on
his '62 Tri-BSA in Premier Open Twins
Expert and Over 50 Expert. Yamaha
rider Eric Brillo earned two firsts in
Sportsman 250cc and Over 30 Novice,
and Quebec BSA pilot Steve Tucker kept
the four-stroke banner flying as he
swept all four motos in the ExPert division of Classic 250cc and Classic 5OOcC.L~
Unadilla Valley Sports Center ,
New Bertin, New York
Results: June 7,1997 (Round 9 of 20)
PREM TWIN U, 1. Danny Davies (Tri).
CLSe 125 EX: 1. Louis Zsido (Ric); 2. James Harner
(CZ); 3. John Sharra (Hon).
eLSe 125 !NT: 1. John Wenn.c;dorfer (Ric); 2. Richie
Baulch (Mrk}: 3. Rick Jones (Pen): 4. Jeff Henkel (Hus).
CLSC 125 NOV, 1. Scott Hatch (Hod).
CLSC 250 EX, 1. Steve Tucker (BSA); 2. John
Gallagher (Gre).
else 250 INT: 1. Steve Mickelson (BSA); 2. M"rc
Cornut (BSA): 3. Craig Corcoran (Gre): 4. Dean
Hutchinson (Trj): 5. Jeffrey Brown (AJS).
eLSC 250 NOV: 1. John Hanrahan (BuJ): 2. Eugene
Crawford (AJS).
CI:.SC SOO EX: 1. Steve Tucker (BSA); 2. Kim Burrows
(BSA); 3. Alex Moroz (Te).
CLSC 500 !NT, 1. Dave Tucker (85A); 2. Jay StWso
(TrO; 3. Marc Comut (B5A); 4. Timothy Cicora (Bu!); 5.
David Roper (Gre).
CLSC 500 NOV, 1. Matt Benson (Hus).
SPTMN 125 EX: l. Timothy Weaver (BuO; 2. Jay
Kinder (Hon); 3. Rkk Rosseter (Hon); 4. Joe Lurch (5uz);
5. Tom France (Hon); 6. Bill azeJrod (Hon); 7. Stephen
Clare (Hon); 8. James Hamer (Hon),9. Bernie Kohler Jr.
(5uz).
.
SPTMN 125 INT, 1. Erik Zackrone (C-A); 2. Robert
Whitworth (Hon); Chris HiU (Hon): 4. James Bauer
(](aw); 5. Peter Rodriguez (Hon).
SPTMN 125 NOV: 1. Mike Piescki (Hon).
SPTMN 250 EX: 1. Timothy Weaver (Bu1); 2. Brian
Thompson (CZ); 3. Douglas WentzeU (Yam); 4. Benny
Durrough (Mai); 5. Jack Weaver (Yam); 6. Daniel Coley
Jr. (Oss); 7. Dick Strenkowski (C-Al; 8. Joe 8ril1o (Yam); 9.
Richard Reid (cz); 10. James Way (C-A).
SPTMN 250 !NT: 1. Tom Hurd (Hon): 2. Norman
Smith (Yam); 3. David Keith (Yam); 4. Michael Burnham
(Hon): S. Peter Giles (Hon); 6. Bruce Bowman (Hon); 7.
Daniel Way (Mon); 8. Erik Zackrone (C-A); 9. Lee Curry
(Hon); 10. Lester Cragan III (Hon).
SPTMN 250 OV: 1. Eric Brillo (Yam); 2. Brian
Chaney {Yam): 3. Derek. Gilbert (5uz): 4. Do~ Enders
(Kaw); 5. Stephen Miller (Hon); 6. Eugene Crawford
(AJ5): 7. Shawn Wadsworth (Yam); 8. Mike Piescki
(Mon); 9. Dave Russell (Mail; 10. James Richardson (Oss).
SPTMN 500 EX: 1. Richard Field (CZ); 2. Douglas
Wentzell (Yam); 3. Benny Durrough (MaO; 4. David
Goyer